Page 98 of Golden Rule

It's unseasonably cold for early-September, but it gave me an excuse to wear my “#07’s Wifey” hoodie Joss had made to match hers that reads “#19 put a ring on it”. I smile at the memory of how excited she was to show me what she’d bought. The score is twenty-four to twenty-one with theVipersleading and eighteen seconds left on the clock. We have the ball on theViper’sthirty-four-yard line, and while this would typically be a great time to bring out our kicker, he’s struggled today, making him too big a risk right now. So, calling this play a nailbiter would be an understatement.

“I hate when it’s this close,” Joss says.

“Tell me about it.”

My groaned words have her hugging my shoulders, and I lean into her. She knows there’s been a lot on West and me lately, so maybe she just sensed that a hug would go a long way with me right about now.

If that’s the case, she isn’t wrong. Little reminders that we’re loved and supported are exactly what we need.

Everyone’s on the edge of their seats as the crowd roars, hyping our guys up. Honestly, it’s invigorating. I study west as he scans the defense, making lightning-fast calculations. Ionce asked him what he’s thinking in these moments, and his response was that he’s reading the field, taking note of subtleties like the slight shift of a linebacker’s stance, or a cornerback leaning further inside than he should be—seemingly small observations that make a world of difference.

West braces his hand to the side of his helmet, then the sound of his gruff voice fills the air as he shouts an audible that prompts his teammates to shift their positioning on the field in real time. I’m not sure what he sees, but he’s got an eye for this game like no one else I’ve ever seen. It’s the reason Coach Wells wanted him here, wanted him to lead this team.

Then… the snap.

My stomach drops to my feet as I watch, seeing the pocket collapse the second the ball is in West’s hands. He’s so quick on his feet, amazing me with how gracefully he spins out of a tackle, then sprints right. Defense is moving in on him, but before they make contact, West drops back and the ball fires out of his hand like a bullet. It soars through the air in a perfect arc, spiraling with unfathomable speed, precision.

Every second the clock winds down feels like an eternity. With how my heart races, staying seated is no longer an option. I stand to my feet, and in my peripheral vision, I notice that Ricky does the same, his expression tense as he tucks both hands into the pockets of his jeans. We’re all entranced, and I place a hand over my wildly beating heart while my eyes trail the ball. Then, half a second later, the crowd is completely silent when Dane’s feet leave the ground, his arms reaching toward the ball…

“Touchdown!” the ref shouts the moment Dane lands in the endzone, and the crowd goes wild. Joss springs to her feet, screaming from the top of her lungs.

“That’swhat I’m fucking talking about,” Ricky shouts, clapping as a proud grin spreads across his face that only rivals my dad’s.

Tiffany cups her hands around her mouth, rearing back as she howls at our boys, because they’ve done it again.

My eyes are glued to West as he jogs off the field, and when the camera pans to him, I get a closeup of his face. There’s no smile, and he isn’t celebrating with the team, and when he winds his shoulder, wincing with the movement, I know exactly why.

I’m unaware of anyone else taking note of West’s reaction until I catch Joss’s eyes leaving the big screen to pan to me. There’s this look on her face as the excitement over the win seems to fade from her expression just enough to notice.

“Permission to speak candidly?” she asks, speaking into my ear so I’m able to hear her words above the shouts of the crowd.

I nod, letting her know she’s free to say whatever’s on her mind.

“As a friend, I’d urge you to talk your husband into seeing a doctor. But as his agent… I’m insisting.”

There’s this grave look in her eyes for the split second they remain on me, then she turns the smile back on to respond to a fan calling out to her, praising Dane’s phenomenal catch.

There’s shouting and cheering all around me, and while I’m proud of our boys for stealing another victory, the feeling of excitement drains right out of me. While I’m sure most see today as nothing but a win, I can’t fight the feeling that it’s a prelude to a loss.

One that could changeeverything.

West

When Dusty offered to host the team’s victory dinner, the guys were all on board. We’re expected to be there in the next thirty minutes, but Blue’s been moving slower than usual.

“Everything okay?” I kiss the top of her hair on my way to the closet, and she pauses putting on her mascara to smile up from her seat.

“Yeah, all good.”

Those words leave her mouth, but they’re not even remotely believable. I know things have been tough lately, but I thought seeing us crush theViperstoday might’ve helped.

Guess I was wrong about that.

I take a pair of jeans off the shelf and slip them on, zipping them as I pass another look toward my wife. Something’s off. I’m not imagining it.

She peers up when I walk toward her, catching my gaze in the mirror’s reflection as she smears gloss onto her perfect lips. This time, I catch it, the moment she tries to straighten that look on her face to pretend she didn’t lie to me a moment ago about everything beingall good.

Her head tilts when I sigh, leaning against the door frame between our bathroom and bedroom. She bats her big, blue eyes at me, but it won’t work this time.

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